Hezekiah’s Illness and the Weight of Truth
Welcome to the next part of Isaiah’s prophecies. The first thirty-nine chapters focus on warnings—events unfolding in real time for the people of that day. For instance, Chapter 38 opens with King Hezekiah suffering from a serious illness. Though Scripture doesn’t name the condition, many scholars believe—because a poultice of figs treated it—that it may have been the plague or a pestilential boil, a severe skin lesion often leading to systemic infection and death in ancient times¹.
“Isaiah had said, ‘Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.’” (Isaiah 38:21, NIV)
Antibiotics and improved hygiene now treat such infections. Yet even now, similar conditions can be deadly. In 2021, a patient in Minnesota contracted MRSA after surgery, resulting in septicemia and permanent disability.² In Hezekiah’s day, such an outcome would have been fatal.
Isaiah had the unenviable task of delivering the news:
“Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” (Isaiah 38:1, NIV)
Some kings might have punished the messenger. Many would have preferred a lie. It’s hard to deliver such a report to anyone.
A Scene from Band of Brothers
My wife and I rewatched the HBO series Band of Brothers.³ We’d seen it before, but it’s so well made—and it had been several years—so we revisited it. In several scenes, a soldier receives a wound. His comrades know death is inevitable, but they tell him to hang on, that he’ll be alright. It’s a kindness, but also a cruelty. Barnes notes, “There is no greater cruelty than to deny a man the knowledge of his demise.” ⁴
Isaiah didn’t deny Hezekiah the truth. But God, in His mercy, spared the king. Hezekiah recovered. And with that, Isaiah’s prophecy pivots—from present warnings to future hope.
A Shift Toward Redemption
Chapter 40 marks a turning point. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown observes, “The former were local and temporary in their reference. These belong to the distant future and are worldwide in their interest.” ⁵
People often link Isaiah 40:3 to John the Baptist, who came preparing the way for Jesus.
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3, NIV)
Matthew Henry explains, “When eastern princes marched through desert countries, ways were prepared for them, and hindrances removed.” ⁶
The hindrance that needed removing for Jesus to come to us? Sin. That’s why John preached repentance. When we turn from sin, our hearts become receptive to the love of Jesus. Being holy, He finds no comfort in the heart of an unrepentant sinner. It’s like light and darkness trying to occupy the same space—one will drive out the other.
Cleansing Begins
When we resent the stench of sin and cry out for relief,
“The glory of the Lord will be revealed.” (Isaiah 40:5a, NIV)
He comes in and cleans us up.
Many people think they need to clean themselves up before coming to Christ. That’s a misguided idea. It’s like handing a washcloth to someone standing in mud. First, they must exit the mire—then cleansing can begin. Through Christ’s suffereing, God makes it possible for us to be lifted from the muck and made clean:
“Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7, NIV)
From Death to Life
First, we must recognize our condition. Isaiah told Hezekiah that he was already dead. (Isaiah 38:1) And spiritually, we’re all born that way:
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1, NIV)
Dead people can’t do anything. But when we realize that, we’re ready for redemption. Jesus said:
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” (John 11:25, NIV)
The Invitation Is Now
So don’t rely on yourself, or anyone else. Seek the Lord today. Acknowledge Jesus as Lord, and you will be saved. (Romans 10:9, NIV)
Tomorrow, we will read Isaiah 42-44.
Citations
Isaiah 38:21, New International Version.
Newsweek, “Minnesota MRSA Case,” 2021.
Band of Brothers. HBO Video, 2002.
Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament: Isaiah, 1851.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (London: S. Bagster and Sons, 1871).
Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1991).